While exploring the show floor of New York Comic Con 2015, there was a particular booth that caught my eye. A series of tablets displayed a mobile strategy game that, until recently, had only been seen in Japan.
Phantom of the Kill has had wide spread success in Japan, and now changes are being made to the game itself to suit the Western Market. After testing the game ourselves, we decided to get a more in depth look from the Public Relations manager, Benjamin PerLee, as well as the executive director, Jun Imaizumi.
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When asked about his impressions for the game, Imaizumi replied that there was a strong tie to anime. So much so that the games opening was overseen by Mamoru Oshi, director of Ghost in the Shell. When creating this prequel for Phantom of the Kill, Gumi felt the best way to appeal to the Western Market would be to offer male counterparts in an otherwise all female cast. Surprisingly, when we inquired about a crossover with Brave Frontier, Imaizumi confirmed that a crossover between the two titles is in the works.

The original Japanese release only featured 60 or so characters. So far, Gumi has introduced only one male character, Zero. He is based upon an already existing female character that was largely popular in the Japanese version. With the English release, Gumi is aiming to effectively double the roster. This also works within the base story line for the game. Benjamin explained to us a little about the plot:
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"The female warriors are called killer princesses and the male character are called killer princes obviously... and they are manifestations of shards of weapons through out history… so some of the complexities narratively are there’s not just one Zero, there’s not just one Levaetain… There’s a whole bunch of different shards for all of these characters and what happens narratively is, if these characters encounter each other, they are destined to fight to the death and the winner absorbs the essence of the other one and become a more and complete version of that person.” ​

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​While the game is aesthetically pleasing, how does it play? Very well actually.

Similar to strategy RPG's before it , Phantom of the Kill offers strategic party placement with many classes and characters to choose from. Combat begins when you move your character and select an enemy. While the turn based combat is automatic when attacking, the character placement and utilization of the combat triangle are really important. Certain character archetypes are weak against specific weapons, as axe users are weak against sword attacks, lance users are weak against axe attacks and lance attacks overpower swords.

The greatest strength of Phantom of the Kill lies within its portability. Each match usually will only last 20 or so minutes, making it the perfect candidate for gamers on the go. The game is optimized for both tablets and mobile phones to ensure a smooth experience no matter how you play. Did I mention this title is free-to-play? If you are a fan of the Fire Emblem series, and are looking for a more mobile experience, Phantom of the Kill is right up your alley.

Gumi is now offering pre-registration for the game, so if you're interested be sure to check it out.
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For more information on a future giveaway regarding Phantom of the Kill , along with a full video version of this interview, stay tuned to GameRampage.net!